Letting Go
by Jaded Devil
Summary: When Anna accepts Yoh's wedding proposal, Hao, heartbroken but refusing to show it, could only send the last trace of his love to her anonymously. [AU, Completed]


Hey. This isn't my first fanfiction, though it is my first with this account. (Read my profile if you're confused!) This is also my first Shaman King fanfiction. However weird this may sound, I've only watched three episodes, but with the help of my anime-obsessed friends, fanfiction and websites, I became pretty familiar with Shaman King. Enjoy!

Dedication: to Syaoran no Hime…thanks for writing so many Shaman King fanfiction, inspiring me to write my own.

Disclaimer: Never owned Shaman King, will NEVER own it

Warnings: Characters might be a bit out of character…. and this is a/u

Letting Go

The young man, with long brown hair and attractive features, appeared to be in a comfortable stage, legs propped casually upon a coffee table and leaning his back against the chair he was sitting upon. His hands held a smooth red envelope and a stray sheet of paper that was a calming shade of white.

"'We cordially invite you, _Hao Asakura_, to the wedding of Yoh Asakura and Anna Kyouyama…'" As he read on, an amused expression crossed his face.

"Little brother…you always are one step ahead of me," Hao chuckled to himself, oblivious to the shaking of his hands.

Anna Kyouyama, the person of both brothers' affection. Literally a dragon behind the disguise of an innocent-looking twenty-year old female.

**Flashback**

"_You wanted to speak with me," Anna said, a hint of ice grazing her words._

"…_Yes…" Hao hesitated, not sure exactly how to bring his point out in the conversation. His left hand, holding a white rose, was hidden behind his back, just straining to give it to her._

"_Well, hurry up!" she snapped, making an obvious glance at her watch. " I have other things to do!"_

"_Oh…are you busy?" Hao asked, eyebrow twitching with irritation. "You could have told me…I would have rescheduled this meeting…"_

_Anna shook her head with frustration. "If that's all you're going to say, I'm going. Yoh is waiting."_

_Hao stared after her retreating self. "Gomen nasai, Anna…for wasting your time…I just wanted to tell you…"_

End of Flashback 

It was close competition between the brothers. Or, as Hao would like to think. But now, he had lost her forever. There would be no more competition. To be frank, Hao never knew what attracted him to Anna so strongly. Perhaps it was her fiery attitude or her stubbornness. There was also the chance that it was sibling rivalry. It confused him why Anna would choose Yoh over him. Both of them loved her, yet she had finally chosen one.

"I guess I'm stupid…for not telling her earlier…" Hao put down the envelope and invitation on the table. It had come a few months after the time Hao had tried to talk with Anna, only to have her declare that she needed to meet up with Yoh. It had never occurred to him that they were planning the wedding. But now that the realization dawned on him, he could only curse at himself for being so oblivious. What else could explain Anna's constant rejection of him in the past few months?

**Flashback**

"_Hello?" The irritation was obvious in Anna's voice._

"_Hi, Anna. It's Hao-"_

"_(Hey Yoh! You better not order the wrong coloured paper for the invitations!)" Anna shouted, not bothering to cover the receiving end of the phone._

_Hao blinked. "Uh, Anna? Are you guys hosting a party?"_

"_What?" Anna said, then pausing to yell at someone else on the other side. "(Ren! Where are you going with the cheesecake and milk? No eating my food!)"_

"_Never mind," Hao said hastily. "Do you want to eat lunch with me tomorrow?"_

"_I can't. I have stuff to do with Yoh."_

"_Oh…" He refused to let disappointment seep into his voice. "It's alright. I'll just…see you later… Bye, Anna."_

_Anna hung up before he even had a chance to do so himself._

_**End of Flashback**_

Hao rubbed his eyes tiredly and walked over to the calendar hanging on the wall of his kitchen, circling July 27th, the day of the wedding. Anna Kyouyama, the only girl who Hao had ever truly liked. Sure, he had girls after him during high school, but none of them had managed to catch his eye, unlike the cool, I-don't-care Anna.

Why did Yoh take her away from him? Why did Anna agree to Yoh's proposal? Why hadn't they let him know about their wedding while they were planning it? He had the suspicion that he was the only one who found out today.

Perhaps…perhaps Yoh knew he would be unenthusiastic about the wedding. Perhaps…

He picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Hello? This IS the dress shop, is it not? Well, I need a custom made suit by the 27th…it's quite important…yes…no… Uh…yeah, my old suit is too small…"

Day of the Wedding

Hao pulled slightly at the collar of his suit uncomfortably, taking note of the way his long hair was being caught in the buttons. "I should have asked for different buttons..."

He walked into the wedding garden Yoh had rented, looking at the flowers that had been planted into the soft earth. "White roses…"

He paused, staring intently at the way the petals of the roses folded perfectly, making the entire bush look complete and beautiful. Remembering how he had wanted to give a rose to Anna once, he stood up, forcing himself to put his mind on something else.

"Hao!"

Hao turned, seeing his brother walking up to him. "Yoh…"

His brother, looking as handsome as himself in a tuxedo, had a big, childish grin on his face. "Can you believe it? I'm actually getting married today! I can't believe it myself! When I asked Anna, I thought she was going to slap me!"

Hao listened half-heartedly to Yoh, then interrupted. "You're a lucky man… Take good care of her, will you?"

Yoh stared at him in surprise. "Of course I will! That's one promise I'll never break… Hey, I have to go greet other people…I'll see you later!"

From afar, Hao could see a female wearing a white dress- Anna. His heart ached when seeing her smile at Yoh. Why was he never the recipient of that beautiful smile?

He turned back to the rose bush, ignoring the feeling of loss and emptiness. What if… Surely, no one would notice if he took one rose…

After all the guests had arrived, Yoh and Anna were married. It was a happy marriage, one that was approved by everyone invited. Everyone, except for Hao…but there was nothing he could do… It was Anna's choice…

That night, Hao decided not to go to the party…it was too joyous for what he was going through…

Hao drove through the streets, glancing down once in a while to check that the box was sitting on the passenger seat. Finally, he reached the destination: Yoh and Anna's house.

No doubt, they were still at the party. He got out of the car, taking the small box with him and leaving it on the doorstep.

"What's this?" Anna asked Yoh, looking curiously at the box on the doorstep.

"I'm not sure…it wasn't there before the party…" Yoh shrugged, opening the door. "It's addressed to you. Why don't you open it?"

Anna picked up the package and opened it. Inside was a single white rose. She looked with confusion. There was no return address, or even a name. And why would anyone go through the trouble just to give her one white rose?

Still, she took it inside the house with her, and after telling Yoh what was in the box, she placed it in a delicate glass jar, all the while smiling to herself.

In the far distance outside the house, Hao turned and started to leave with a smile on his face, knowing that she had accepted the rose.

"Goodbye, Anna…"

**_End_**

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How was it? I'm sorry if it didn't make much sense…I just had a sudden inspiration to write it. I think I rushed through quite a bit of that. I'm not that good with explaining and stuff…Hopefully, you liked it and will review! 


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